Mary Berry’s no-cook Mediterranean chicken salad is perfect easy heatwave recipe

Mary Berry’s no-cook chicken recipe is the ultimate summer dish.

Britons up and down the country are currently enduring a week-long heatwave that feels akin to being roasted alive. The last thing anybody wants is to venture into their kitchen and face yet more heat while preparing dinner.

Rather than resorting to supermarket snacks or ordering a takeaway, Mary Berry has shared her ideal summer salad — simple to prepare, utterly delicious and, best of all, completely free of any cooking whatsoever.

The recipe description, as per BBC Food, reads: “Mary’s Mediterranean-inspired salad is full of good things – creamy avocado, juicy tomatoes and tender chicken in a quick pesto dressing. It’s perfect for making ahead, with a quick assembly before serving.”

This recipe serves up to six people and contains just 382 calories per serving. The dish is packed with 27g of protein and as little as 24g of fat.

Elsewhere, you can also take a look at Mary Berry’s “easy” honey chicken recipe, which makes for a perfect midweek meal. Read on below to discover how to make her no-cook chicken salad.

Mary Berry’s honey chicken recipe

What you’ll need:

• Three cooked chicken breasts
• Two large avocados
• One lemon
• Half a cucumber
• 18 baby plum tomatoes
• Four tablespoons of fresh green basil pesto
• Six tablespoons of light mayonnaise
• Salt to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 25g of toasted pine nuts
• Micro salad
• Basil leaves

Method

1. To start, prepare the chicken by removing the skin and bones from the cooked chicken breasts, where necessary. Cut each breast horizontally in half, then slice into thin strips.
2. Next, prepare the dressing by placing the basil pesto, light mayonnaise and the juice of half a lemon into a large bowl. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then stir thoroughly until fully combined.
3. Next, add the sliced chicken and stir until it is thoroughly coated in the dressing. For the best results, cover the chicken and allow it to marinate in the fridge for several hours or overnight, though this step can be omitted if time is short.
4. For the following step, peel and slice the avocados, then transfer the slices to a separate bowl. Squeeze over the juice of half a lemon and gently toss until the avocado is evenly coated.
5. Slice the cucumber in half lengthways and use a teaspoon to scoop out and discard the seeds. Peel the cucumber with a potato peeler, then cut it into thin crescent-shaped pieces. Then, halve the baby plum tomatoes lengthwise.
6. Layer the cucumber slices, avocado slices, tomato halves and pesto chicken on a serving platter or divide them between individual bowls. Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
7. To serve, scatter the toasted pine nuts across the top of the salad and finish with a generous handful of micro salad leaves and fresh basil leaves.